Honestly, I wasn’t sure if this Friday would ever come. I sure am glad it did! I’m back from the freezing cold Park City weather, with a cold (thanks, Matt), and ready to take a nap for the rest of the weekend. What a (magical) week. Read on for all that happened on social this week, and a little more about what we were up to at Sundance!

Social nets update stuff

DMs on DMs. Facebook is planning to integrate its three messaging apps – WhatsApp, Instagram, and Messenger. How, you ask? By reworking the underlying infrastructure and adding end-to-end encryption. The plan apparently comes directly from Mr. Zuckerberg, in an effort to keep people on the platform longer and create a more seamless experience across apps. The change would also bring a new level of security and privacy to users for the first time. I’ll believe it when I see it.

Yikes. It looks like Apple and Facebook are in bit of a feud. Apple has completely shut down Facebook’s internal iOS apps, from beta apps to ones that employees use for lunch menus and transportation schedules. Apple’s strict move is in response to news that FB was misusing their enterprise program, which is supposed to be used solely for internal app distribution. FB was reportedly using the program for a research app, to track teenage customers that had volunteered to be paid in exchange for their data.

It’s been a Facebook-heavy news week. The company announced the formation of an external board with the authority to determine which kinds of posts are acceptable on the social network. The new oversight board, to be made up of around 40 people, would make those difficult decisions regarding which posts about sensitive subjects would stay up or come down.

Sooo, this is creepy. A bug in Apple’s FaceTime software revealed the capability for users to eavesdrop on (and see!) others without their knowledge. No thanks. The bug works by dialing another person, then swiping up and adding your own number to the call before they answer. In response, Apple disabled group FaceTime and is said to be releasing a software update soon to fix the issue. I sure hope so.

Other brands do stuff

Get your guac ready, because Tostitos is livestreaming a bowl of tortilla chips for a 53 straight hours. Yes, you read that right, a bowl of tortilla chips. To honor the 53rd Super Bowl, the record breaking livestream began yesterday and will run until one minute before kickoff on Sunday. #TostitosLiveBowl will also feature some NFL guest stars, and include different rules and rewards based on social media reactions such as likes and hashtag usage by viewers.

There’s a Pringles stack for everyone…sort of. Pringles’ new Super Bowl ad suggests stacking multiple flavors to come up with unique flavor combos like spicy nacho. Sounds fun, until a smart device begins to lament her lack of hands and taste to experience the chip tasting. Watch for yourself and be inspired (to buy Pringles and try out cool flavor combos, that is).

Twitter is going all in for the big game. From special hashtag-triggered emojis to tons of livestreams, there’s a lot in the playbook. Twitter Sports set up a Radio Row in Georgia where NFL players, legends, and celebrities will shoot short-form videos and create custom content to be used (including my favorite, gifs). The latest data trends will also be featured. A new football culture show will be livestreamed, as well as the first ever Bud Light Super Bowl Music Fest. I’d call that a touchdown.

Interesting stuff

LinkedIn is increasingly becoming a favorite for ad buyers. The future in ads for the platform is looking bright, with 42% of media buyers looking to increase their spending in 2019. Interest targeting was introduced just last week, and now advertisers can target users based on their professional interests. However, the platform remains very expensive in the social media landscape, and buyers still have a lot on their wishlist when it comes to capabilities.

Two months in and Facebook’s attribution tool is getting mixed reviews. In November, FB moved their attribution tool out of beta touting that it brings marketers on the platform one step closer to capturing an overview of the full customer journey. Welp, the jury is still out.